Re: [Marxism] A massive blow to Counterpunch's credibility

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Stuart comments;
I tend to agree with Joaquin on this one. The story doesn't make much sense
to me at all.

I'd be open to serious evidence being provided, but short of that it is
dangerous to go around spreading and believing conspiracy theories - if only
because it doesn't actually change much fundamental anyway.

Betancourt is free, Uribe is taking the credit, this will be used to
strengthen imperialism's hand in the region.

Fred comments:
Stuart, don't hold your breath until there is proof of the conspiracy
theory. We need you. There is no shred of truth in the story, for all the
reasons Joaquin has explained.

But I think it is a mistake to present this as basically able to "strengthen
imperialism's hand in the region." I feel that the release of Betancourt
opens political space in Colombia, although I admit that her life is
probably more in danger now than it was when she was a prisoner of the FARC.
Hopefully, the political context is not favorable to her being bumped off,
but if she threatens to defeat the Uribe militias in a future elections, all
bets are off.

Personally, I think it would extend the opening of space if the FARC
released all the hostages it holds NOW, no dawdling till the
Schwarzenegger-Van Damme rescuers arrive with movie cameras rolling to film
the movie, which is surely now in the works. (At least in Spanish, English
requires a lot more bullets being fired, and vastly more casualties.)

Beat them to it this time. Release all of them. Some are real criminals,
some are not, but no one cares anymore. (They will care more later, but that
is another story.)

Is the FARC ready to recognize the new situation, favorable to the
bourgeoisie in some ways and not in others,  and reintegrate as a
revolutionary opposition into a bourgeois democratic Colombia (and there
hasn't really been one so far) with their arms -- there is no lack of armed
people in Colombia, why should the FARC people be different?

At any rate, the situation is fluid and complex. And it can still be
affected importantly by what the FARC does. The message to the FARC
leadership:  Use your mentality! Face up to reality! Act decisively and
quickly before any more rescue teams arrive to claim the credit. I think you
will be glad you did.
Fred Feldman


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